30 Day challenge Day 18

What are you favourite seasonal activities that change up your routine.

Spring: Walking along the river paths
Summer: Swimming or running or canoeing ( I don't do much canoeing but I would love to do more)
Fall: Hiking and walking along the river paths
Winter: Skiing or skating (but I don't do either of these very often because I HATE, LOATHE and DESPISE the cold)

30 Day Challenge Day 17

Challenge Day!!!!
Add 15 minutes of exercising to each day you work out.

This is what I call my commercial break exercising. For those of us with PVR choose one 60 minute show a week that you usually PVR and watch it during it's regular scheduled time. The challenge is to do 2 different exercises each commercial break.  It's not much but it will add 15 minutes of exercising to your day. 
I will be running the program like this.
first break : Cardio jogging in place
                  Strength: arms bicep curls
second break: Cardio: punching
                      Strength: arms tricep exercise
third break: Cardio: jump rope
                   Strength: squats
Fourth Break: cardio: cross country skiing
                     Strength lunges
Fifth break: Cardio: high knees
                  Strength: push ups
Sixth break: Cool Down Stretching
If all commercial breaks are 3 minutes in length that means you would spend a minute and a half on each exercise then switch.  It's not an exact science but it would make watching commercials more enjoyable :D

30 day challenge Day 16

What do you do for a warmup?

That really depends on the activity. But for the most part it is something the incorporates cardio and strength training for 7-10 minutes then it's onto the big part of the work out.

30 Day challenge Day 15

We are half way through, have you made any changes to your program if so what are they?  Do you want to make changes?

I have not made any changes. I would like to make some changes, more exercising, and more involvement from my family in these changes.  I am hoping to initiate an exercise schedule for our house for 7:30 to 8:30 each night.  Hopefully things will work out and we will keep this challenge going long after the 30 days.

30day challenge day 12

What areas of your body to you like the best?


 I <3 certain areas of my body.  I most certainly do, I know in my last post I jested that I did not like my body and that it was all a problem area but that's not actually true.  I do have at least three areas of my body that I <3. 
Number 1: I love my curvy shape.  I really do, and I think that that is a part of my body.  For a long time I did not like my shape as a whole package, but I do now.  I love all the curves it has to offer and now I just want to make those curves a little more compact. 

Number 2: I love my calves and ankles.  I throw them in together because really I think they are a package deal.  I love that I don't have cankles, I love the tapering of my calf into my ankles and I think that when I wear high heels I have great calves that I love to show off. ;)

Number 3: Ok here's where I sound like a man, I love my chest area.  I  do, I can't help it, I think it has something to do with having a curvy shape, you have to embrace what your momma gave you and I do.  So there I said it I love my breasts!!!

30 day challenge day 11

What are your problem areas that you feel need to be worked on the most?


When I think of my "problem areas" does my whole body count??  No ok well let's be specific, because I honestly don't hate all parts of my body and my body as a whole when in shape is very pleasing. 

So problem area number on would be my abs.  I always find them to be flabby, which may be why I am obsessed, and i do mean obsessed, with ab workouts.  I love doing them and I push myself hard on any ab exercise.  I don't know why, but I always seem to see great results when I do ab exercises and I see them quickly, I don't have to wait as long to see results in the ab area as my other problem areas.

Problem area number two are my thighs.  The thighs as a whole are too large and jiggly.  I would love for them to be more toned.  I would love to not have that tight thigh look in pants with every pair of pants I own even the straight leg and wide leg trousers.

Problem area number three would be my upper arms.  They aren't really a bad problem area I just feel like they are wider than they need to be.  I want to tone them and have them shrink a couple inches really.  Then life would be good. 

30 Day challenge day 10

Who do you count on when you are making lifestyle changes to support you and encourage you to continue?


I wish I had a lot of support people in place.  But it seems that everyone is so busy and no one makes time for each other anymore. I don't have a gym buddy and Adrian doesn't seem interested in becoming my workout buddy.  Maybe I need to ask him again. I wish I lived closer to some of my friends who are in the same situation as I am, then we would be going to the gym together and signing up for the same workout classes. 
 
This is hard, but I do depend on myself and Adrian even though he won't workout with me.  That's not a really fair statement as I haven't really asked him and I do my exercising when he is not home, I guess to rectify this situation I should ask him to workout with me after the children have gone to bed. We both may have more energy at night if we do that.
 
So I guess I depend mostly on myself but I have realized that I need to broaden my circle of support in order to be really successful!!

30 day Challenge Day 9

Holidays can be very detrimental to exercising and dieting, what is your plan to get through the holidays without jeopardizing your routine?

I do have a plan... and its a good plan, but I lost it lol.  Just kidding.  I think I am going to use moderation as my key. I cannot just snack on food because it's the holidays and I have to continue being physically active.  I am going to do my exercising and my healthy eating every day.  I am going  to set mini goals for myself, one for each day.  They will be goals like, eat a veggie snack instead of chips.  Or have an apple instead of a chocolate snack.  Depending on my craving as well.  But then after the 6th day I will reward myself and allow myself to have 250 g of a salty or sweet snack.  Maybe a popcorn ball. 
 
As for the rest of the food, this year it should be easy to not gorge myself on food as we aren't really doing a big Christmas celebration because we are all trying to save for the Wedding.  And with walking down in Vegas I plan to shed a few pounds that way!!!

30 Day challenger Update

I sit here stuck on how to write this entry.  I will be disclosing some rather personal facts here and that is hard to do.  I am not proud of the facts that I am going to share and because people read this blog I am hesitant to disclose all the figures I recorded today.  But if I can't be honest here then I can't be honest anywhere.  I am not sure who all reads my blog, but if they are not happy with what they see then they can just not read my blog.  I am not doing this because I am in the best shape of my life, so obviously my weight and measurements won't show me as a svelte fitness guru.

So without further ado, here goes.  My weight when I started this challenge 7 days ago was at 195. (gag me the fact that I am close to 200 is enough to make me want to just die of shame, but it is also a good motivator)  Today when I weighed myself I was at 192.  Now that might not seem like much but in 7 days that is 3 pounds lost.  THREE!!! I am excited about that, but I know weight fluctuates so I won't be put off if next time I take my measurements I am not as low in the weight scale as I wish I were.  For my measurements, I did from Bust to ankles.  Bust was 41, Chest was 34 Waist was 35 hips were 43.5 butt was 44, Thighs were 26, calves were 15.5 and my ankles were 10. So not too bad really.  I don't know what I was 7 days ago because I put off measuring myself but now I have a place to make more comparisons.

I also did Jillian Michaels DVD today.  It was a great workout, it was the Fat burning metabolism boost DVD.  I felt like I was going to die, but it is going to become my Bootcamp work out DVD for the evenings from now on.  So here we go, 23 days left what will the final results show??

30 Day challenge day 7

Seven days in what are your results right now. Is there a change in weight, energy or motivation?

So I have successfully blogged about weightloss and stuff for 7 days, but the actual event is not going as planned.  I had my last scheduled work out class last Friday and I am sad.  I now have a month to get things going on my own, to get my own intrinsic motivation built up to be more powerful then my extrinsic motivation.  That is hard in today's society when so many things are dependent on external factors "creating" happiness.  Who knew weight loss would bring about this type of reflection??
 
I can say that after ending my 6 classes on Fridays there has been a change in my cardio and my upper body strength, so I guess there are results but I have to keep going or else they will turn into jelly.  Ok I will post stats tomorrow or later today.... I need to see this chart thing so that I can see that it is real.  Wii Fit here I come again :P

30 Day Challenge day six

What is your reward for sticking to a program?

My reward for sticking to my program is three fold.

1. I will be healthy and happy with my body image


2. I will be able to fit into a fantastic wedding dress and I will look great on the day when I am the center of attention


3. I will be able to fit into all my pre pregnancy clothes and wear a great bikini this summer!!!


Number one is the most important to me, but the superficial numbers 2 and 3 are my biggest motivators... if that makes sense.

30 Day Challenge Day 2

Where you would like to be in 30 days of consistent exercising and healthy eating?

So after some careful consideration I have decided that I would like to be in a very differnt mind set in the next thirsty days.  I feel that I am my own worst enemy.  I need to be more active and I need to stop making excuses for my inactivity.  I can be very active but I am easily distracted by television shows or the computer and will use those activities as excuses not to do fitness activities. 
 
So I have decided that I would like to lose a total of 3 inches in the next thirty days.  That would be an all over lose but it would definitely be a start to getting me jumping ahead of my New Years resolution. I have to buy a wedding dress in about a month, and I DO NOT WANT TO BE FAT!!!!
 
So I have decided that I need to do the following and I will keep an checklist for myself to help me reach my thirty day goal of a loss of 3 total inches.  I mean it may be half an inch here a quarter of an inch there but it will be a loss and it will be a start I do not believe that is asking too much.  I have to work out everyday, I can't eat junk food or pop, and I must increase my veggie  and fruit intake. 
 
I will be posting another blog in regards to my journey on information I find.  I was sent an email about eating fruit and it was really interesting so when I get home I will definitely post it here to share with all of you.
 
So far I have 4 girls joining me on a Biggest Loser challenge so this should be very motivating!!!

Day One :What are your starting fitness level for you at this moment in time?

My fitness levels at this point in time are mediocre.  I can complete an hour or two or cardiovascular training, I can do weight lifting of weights up to 10 pounds for repeated reps.  I don't get winded climbing up stairs, but I wouldn't say I ma in shape.  If I had to give myself a grade my starting grade during this 30 day challenge I would say I was at a C-. 
My goal for this challenge is to get to a grade of a B.  I don't know what that would entail exactly yet.  But I think it would look like getting my scale down another 6 pounds. It would have me being active on my own and not finding excuses for not going to a work out class, and if I do not go to a workout class I will work out at home instead.  It will also mean getting into a habit that when I go to Vegas I will actually pack work out clothes so I can workout while I am on vacation.
So that's it'... I will post my measurements later, like after I finally take them. hahahah.  I am thinking for this challenge I am going to have to be brutally honest about myself in order for it to get kicked into high gear for changes to be made!!!

So here's my new challenge....

On my other blog I am doing a thirty day challenge to keep writing on the blog, to fill the blog with stuff that is about me.  Some of the blogs are longer and some are shorter but it keeps my writing focused and gives me a goal to keep in mind.

So I have decided that for the next 30 days I must blog, by reporting on different changes I am adding to my life for the different goals I have set.  So the most important goal for me right now is the fitness goal.  Therefore, I am going to begin that 30 day challenge.

Here is what to expect over the next thirty days.  I will be blogging about my thirty day challenge using the Wii programs I have.  The first one I will be using is Wii Active, the others I will use are Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and Jillian Michael's Bootcamp. 

1) What are your starting fitness level for you at this moment in time?
2) Where you would like to be in 30 days of consistent exercising and healthy eating?
3) What is the start of your fitness challenge.  What programs are you using and who is helping you reach your goals?
4) What hurdles do you face when trying to change habits like eating and exercising?
5) What is your favourite type of exercise program?
6) What is your reward for sticking to a program?
7) Seven days in what are your results right now.  Is there a change in weight, energy or motivation?
8) When do you exercise?
9) Holidays can be very detrimental to exercising and dieting, what is your plan to get through the holidays without jeopardizing your routine?
10) Who do you count on when you are making lifestyle changes to support you and encourage you to continue?
11) What are your problem areas that you feel need to be worked on the most?
12) What areas of your body to you like the best?
13) Name and exercise program you have heard of but have never tried that you would like to try and tell us why?
14) Fourteen days in summarize your results again.
15) Half way through have you made changes to your program, if so what are they?  Would you like to make changes to your program?
16) What do you do for a warm up?
17) Challenge: It's been 17 days how are the results going?  Challenge yourself to add another 15 minutes of exercising to each day you work out.  Tell us what it is.
18) What are your favourite seasonal activities that change up your exercising routine?
19) Describe the changes you have made to your diet to help you reach your fitness goals.
20) What is your workout playlist?
21) Less than 10 days to go, summarize your results.
22) What is your cool down routine?
23) What is your least favourite type of exercising?
24) What popular exercising/ dieting programs have you tried or researched?  Do they work?
25) What is your ideal weight and are you there?
26) The media bombards us with images of famous people and they criticize them for their weight, what is your opinion on what the "real" people should strive to be?  What type of body image do you want for your children if you have any or for younger people in general?
27) Do you watch the Biggest Loser?  Why or why not?
28) Have you ever entered into a Biggest Loser competition? Why or why not?
29) How have you felt completing this challenge?
30) Last day summarize your results.  What is your next 30 day challenge?